All countries have some or other texts that work as the foundation for its culture and rituals. They can be either written book or epics. The Indian epics are written in Sanskrit language, and are considered as the earliest form of the world literature.
This literature has inspired numerous artists who portrayed gods in grandiose and presented humans, emotions, animals, scenery, color etc in a great detail.
India has many foundational texts or epics, but Mahabharata and Ramayana are the oldest and most celebrated stories.
These are the grand tales of chariots, kidnapping, gods, demons, love, war, and they are an inseparable part of Indian culture. This article will introduce some of the most influential or famous Indian Epics.
Mahabharata
According to the beliefs, the original manuscript of Mahabharata was written by Sage Ved Vyasa. This epic presents the story of power struggle between cousins.
It is world’s longest poem ever written in the world with 110,000 couplets in a total of eighteen sections. A part of Mahabharata is known as Bhagwad Gita is also considered as separate epic because of its vastness and wholeness.
Ramayana
Ramayana, also written in Sanskrit, is also one of the ancient epics of Indian and depicts the story of Rama, an incarnation of protector god Vishnu. The epic was originally written by Sage Valmiki.
It plays a major role in forming the present culture and belief system. The story of Ramayana revolves around lord Rama and his wife Sita, who was abducted by a demon named Ravana.
Arthashastra
Arthashastra, meaning economic, is a 2300 year old text about the governance and politics. This huge book is divided into fifteen parts, and all of them are about ruling policies. The original book was written by Chanakya, and was rediscovered by R. Shamasastry in 1905.
Here are the Top Indian Epics. You must read these Epics.
